Call to Action: Review and Comment on the AZ BEAD Program Project Area Map

Volume two of Arizona’s plan to utilize Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program funding was approved on August 5, 2024. Now, the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) is working to divide the state into project service areas that serve as a geographic reference to assign subgrant awards. A draft of the ACA’s project area map is available for review using the Arizona Broadband Navigator tool, and the ACA is seeking feedback from potential subgrantees like Tribal governments, Tribal ISPs and other Tribal entities through the BEAD Market Sounding. Comments must be submitted to the ACA by November 7, 2024. Anyone wishing to offer input on the draft project area map must use the Arizona Broadband Navigator tool to sign up for an account and submit their comments.

It is important to review locations in your area to ensure that eligibility information is correct at those locations. The state could potentially be divided into over 70 project areas, with Tribal lands designated as their own project areas. The ACA is seeking comments on the proposed project areas to ensure that they align with the BEAD program’s goal of expanding broadband access to unserved locations. Please visit the ACA’s BEAD Market Sounding website for more information and continue to follow AIPI for more Tribal broadband developments.

Arizona was awarded approximately $933 million from the BEAD program to expand broadband access throughout the state. The BEAD program prioritizes unserved locations, then underserved locations, and finally, Community Anchor Institutions. These locations are largely determined by FCC data published on the National Broadband Map. The BEAD program requires that states develop their maps and datasets based off of the National Broadband Map. Therefore, any data not represented on the FCC’s map will likely not be added to any state maps. The ACA will use a subgrant model to award BEAD funding to projects in each project area based on the criteria outlined in the BEAD Initial Proposal Vol. II. Generally, BEAD program funding cannot be used on locations that may be a part of other federally funded projects. The Broadband Navigator tool shows information on federally funded projects within each project area and marks locations that are eligible for BEAD funding.